This gamer needs some weight loss

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LadySanguin
LadySanguin Posts: 29 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I'm a gamer mom of 3. The past few years have not been kind to the scale. Looking to lose an overwhelming amount of weight. What makes exercising fun for you?

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  • amtyrell
    amtyrell Posts: 1,449 Member
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    I am a big fan of the non scalevictories and that thread. To me it feels like beating a boss. Small regular victory helps. Celebrate it all
  • 2011rocket3touring
    2011rocket3touring Posts: 1,346 Member
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    I purchased a treadmill and have a tablet. I would pick specific Netflix or Hulu shows that I would only watch on the Treadmill.
  • Kathryn247
    Kathryn247 Posts: 570 Member
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    Hello! I'm a gamer mom of 1 (mostly WoW). Needed to lose about 50 pounds, and lost the first 25 without any exercise (other than walking the dog around the block), because exercising isn't fun for me, and was frustrating when I was at my heaviest. You don't have to exercise to lose weight, you just need a calorie deficit.

    If you want to exercise for fitness, I think it helps to consider it a "quest" IRL, or grinding exercise rep. :smile: You might want to check out NerdFitness for bodyweight exercises, they have a whole questing program. At 25 pounds down I started a couch to 5K running program, now I can run 4 miles without stopping or walking, which is crazy unheard-of for me. I think there's a Zombies version of that program if you're into that.

    If you're busy with kids and life (and gaming), you could just focus on calories for a while.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,131 Member
    edited September 2017
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    As mentioned above you don't require exercise to lose weight, you just need to eat less than you burn, so as long as you stick to the calorie allowance set in MFP that will allow you to lose weight.

    However... exercise will improve your overall health and some form of strength training will help you maintain your muscle whilst you lose weight. Just losing weight without exercise will basically mean you're just a smaller version of your current self and will lose muscle along with the fat.

    The app @Kathryn247 mentioned with the zombies is Zombies, Run! I've used it, it's quite fun and distracts you from clock-watching. I couldn't run 30 seconds when I started out in June, I can now run/walk around 5km and jog steadily for 25 mins. Probably would have been a bit better but pulled a muscle dog-walking in July.

    You just need to find something that you enjoy.
  • Kullerva
    Kullerva Posts: 1,114 Member
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    Download Stepmania. It's free. Mats are around $50 but they last a few months on the easier settings. I can't run so I do that because it's lower impact. However, you will sweat like a beast--and it is a game! :)

    I second Zombies, Run! if you have a smartphone. I can only walk but it gives me credit. :)
  • katsheare
    katsheare Posts: 1,025 Member
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    Definitely what @Kathryn247 said about NF (and focusing on diet rather than exercise), and the running ap is Zombies, Run! which I have yet to try but sounds really fun. https://zombiesrungame.com/

    For me, figuring out how to get the best bang for my caloric buck ticks a lot of boxes in my geek brain. Also, depending on what type of gaming you do, there may be a fit-focused version of it: LARPing if you can find it and you usually do tabletop; the types of video games that involve you moving around (WiiFit or whatever); keep an eye out for fun challenges on MFP or other places (look on the Challenges board).

    The best place I've found to start is looking at what you're doing now, what you really like about what you're doing now, and figure out how to game that system to support better health. And don't try to do anything too major all at once: little, sustainable changes will all add up to what you're working toward (just as little, probably unconscious changes led to where you are now).
  • julesEMS2016
    julesEMS2016 Posts: 44 Member
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    I found different workouts that I like to do. I like kickboxing (Turbo Fire), Yoga, dance, and weight training. The only way I was able to get myself into the habit of working out was to tell myself that I'm doing it no matter what. Even if I like a workout, I still have days that I don't want to do anything. Losing weight and getting healthier is as much a mental battle as a physical.
  • LadySanguin
    LadySanguin Posts: 29 Member
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    katsheare wrote: »
    Definitely what @Kathryn247 said about NF (and focusing on diet rather than exercise), and the running ap is Zombies, Run! which I have yet to try but sounds really fun. https://zombiesrungame.com/

    For me, figuring out how to get the best bang for my caloric buck ticks a lot of boxes in my geek brain. Also, depending on what type of gaming you do, there may be a fit-focused version of it: LARPing if you can find it and you usually do tabletop; the types of video games that involve you moving around (WiiFit or whatever); keep an eye out for fun challenges on MFP or other places (look on the Challenges board).

    The best place I've found to start is looking at what you're doing now, what you really like about what you're doing now, and figure out how to game that system to support better health. And don't try to do anything too major all at once: little, sustainable changes will all add up to what you're working toward (just as little, probably unconscious changes led to where you are now).

    I wish there was a kid proof kinetic for Xbox or I would buy one. We have already gone through 2. But that Zombies app sounds about right :3

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